Obama Open To Newspaper Bailout Bill

[DeSwiss]

Source: The Hill

Obama open to newspaper bailout bill

The Hill | By Michael O'Brien | 09/20/09 04:24 PM ET

The president said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses. "I haven't seen detailed proposals yet, but I'll be happy to look at them," Obama told the editors of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Toledo Blade in an interview. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) has introduced S. 673, the so-called "Newspaper Revitalization Act," that would give outlets tax deals if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations. That bill has so far attracted one cosponsor, Cardin's Maryland colleague Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D).

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had played down the possibility of government assistance for news organizations, which have been hit by an economic downturn and dwindling ad revenue. In early May, Gibbs said that while he hadn't asked the president specifically about bailout options for newspapers, "I don't know what, in all honesty, government can do about it."

Obama said that good journalism is "critical to the health of our democracy," but expressed concern toward growing tends in reporting -- especially on political blogs, from which a groundswell of support for his campaign emerged during the presidential election. "I am concerned that if the direction of the news is all blogosphere, all opinions, with no serious fact-checking, no serious attempts to put stories in context, that what you will end up getting is people shouting at each other across the void but not a lot of mutual understanding," he said.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/59523-obama-open-to-newspaper-bailout-bill

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- So if we bailout the newspapers too, do we get free newspapers???

You know, a sort of "Cash For Crappers" program???
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DeSwiss


http://www.atheisttoolbox.com/">The Atheist Toolbox




http://www.democracynow.org/2009/9/4/republican_gomorrah_inside_the_movement_that">"Sadomasochism is what defines the central character of the Republican follower of today." - Max Blumenthal

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Not a solitary cent of my tax money to Rupert Murdoch.

[DeSwiss]

2. The only tax money that I would be willing to part with.....

...related to newspapers, is the legal expense we'd incur revoking Rupert Murdoch's citizenship. That would money well-spent.

- Clearly the man is working for our enemies......

[Oeditpus Rex]

4. Note the critical words, 'if they were to restructure as 501(c)(3) corporations.'

I sincerely doubt Murdoch is interested in not making a profit, nor would most publishers be. I can see alt-weeklies and other free newspapers taking advantage of this if it were to pass, but not dailies.

[No Elephants]

7. Have you seen the salaries in some not for profit corporations? Let me get this

straight. The newpapers could simply claim their purpose in doing exactly what they've done for the past 400 years is now a not for profit purpose; and they will be able to get a federal tax break, and almost everywhere, a local real estate and state income tax break, too?

They never shared the profits with us during their heyday. Why should taxpayers subsidize them now?

[grahamhgreen]

19. Remember you can still collect outrageous CEO salaries from non-profits.... Must have fairness doctr

[Downwinder]

3. You built the stadiums.

Do you get free tickets to the games? Or at least free viewing on cable.

[DeSwiss]

5. I don't watch the teevee.

Gives me a headache.

[No Elephants]

6. What is he supposed to say? "I refuse to look at a bill if Congress enacts it?"

Newspapers that depend on government are not newspapers. They are propaganda arms.

[DeSwiss]

8. They are all propaganda arms to one side or another I suppose....

...it's just different when we start writing them checks too. When that happens, there's no question about what the relationship really is.

[and-justice-for-all]

9. No...

If they are not going to bail people out of foreclose, then NO ONE should be getting another fucking bailout.

[Joe Bacon]

10. NO! NOT ONE CENT TO THESE LIARS!

Not One Penny to Screwpert Murdoch and his RIght WIng pals.

[timo]

11. hell no

A BAD IDEA AND IT WILL BE POORLY EXECUTED!!!!

[stray cat]

12. IF they go nonprofit they get nonprofit tax breaks how is that a bail out?

[KoKo]

15. Rupert Murdoch gets a tax break while charging folks for buying his newspapers.

He can use his tax break money to buy up what he doesn't own now. He is a businessman getting special treatment...along with WaPo which also owns a school testing service that's a money maker for them. So WaPo is also a business that will be getting special tax exemption.

[katkat]

13. qualify?

I looked up the 501 (c) (3) regs, and this would seem to outlaw newspaper editorials and op ed pieces, since they would be attempts to influence legislation. As would biased reporting.

I certainly am not in favor of this bill, these were the creeps who cheerleaded the U.S. into Iraq, and have hardly done anything that would qualify as in depth or investigative journalism in decades. Not to mention plain propaganda outlets like Faux.

[high density]

14. Are we going to bail out every business that is losing money?

The government certainly can't subsidize a "fact checking" organization, and the media hasn't fulfilled that role in decades anyway. The people who need the facts the most don't listen and are too brainwashed to come to reasonable conclusions about anything.

[WePurrsevere]

16. Maybe.. but ONLY if they attach a strong Fairness Doctrine to it.

:evilgrin:

[Robb]

17. And tort reform!

:rofl:

[WePurrsevere]

23. ...

:evilgrin: :hi:

[LiberalFighter]

18. Break up the monopolies of newspapers, radios and television.

[grahamhgreen]

20. The newspapers print right wing lies, and Fox news watchers DONT READ! Print real news, problem over

[ixion]

21. NO. Enough with the bailouts

holy crap. :grr:

[TrogL]

22. Stick a fork in it - newspapers are dead

They can't even give them away here.

[seafan]

24. Newspaper bailouts?? Couple this news with what Taibbi just wrote:

Taibbi: Banks to Take Over Media Industry?, September 21, 2009



WTF is going on?

Are the thieves at Big Finance looking for some nice tax breaks?



Obama open to newspaper bailout bill, September 10, 2009

The president said he is "happy to look at" bills before Congress that would give struggling news organizations tax breaks if they were to restructure as nonprofit businesses.

.....